an elite team of three young undercover cops whose work clothes--fedoras and long overcoats--create an image farcical even by television standards.

Visually, they're a cross between Hasidic Jews and the Blues Brothers.

The premise calls for them to be so incredibly menacing that they sometimes terrify murderous thugs merely by showing up. These bobos? It would be more believable if the thugs started giggling.

Just why the Hat Squad never goes bareheaded on the job is not explained. You have to read the CBS publicity to learn that the title is inspired by the nickname given a group of Los Angeles police officers in the 1940s.

I can't believe I missed this. The premise sounds awful. But then it is better than the premise for the 1980's TV series Beauty and the Beast, which I liked (I'm too afraid to watch it on line to see if it was actually horrible and I had bad taste in TV...)

Seki
—
2014-06-25T00:38:04Z —
#5

At the very least, there was some measure of creativity (albeit clumsy and uninspired) involved in that it was fiction.

I realized that TV was controlled by idiots the day I watched some 'real' account of people bitching and moaning each other off a tropical island.

AllisonMoon
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2014-06-25T00:47:51Z —
#6

I vaguely recall one of the brothers using a Jack playing card as a weapon. A very stupid weapon.

"The Hat Squad" is prime time's new propeller beanie, an example of just how comically infantile and moronic television can get.

SamWinston
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2014-06-25T01:14:35Z —
#10

Let's not forget Lancealot Link Secret Chimp. A groovey show about a chimp that's a secrete agent---performed by actual chimps.

And to be honest WTF was the flying nun about? A Catholics answer to Bewitched?

glenblank
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2014-06-25T01:34:12Z —
#11

If you want the Hollywood version of the real-life LAPD Hat Squad, see Lee Tamahori's Mulholland Falls (1996).

A bit uneven, and not historically precise, but it has Nick Nolte, Chazz Palminteri, Chris Penn and Michael Madsen noir'ing it up in in atomic-age LA, with Bruce Dern as the LAPD chief who tacitly approves; John Malkovich as a Nevada atomic-site General, and Jennifer Connelly as The Girl.

The detail that beat up gangsters at the Victory Motel in L.A. Confidential was also inspired by the Hats. So was last year's Gangster Squad, though that reportedly wasn't a very good film. Of all the ways that you run with the source material of the Hats, the TV show definitely manages to be the stupidest.

halloween_jack_
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2014-06-25T02:46:01Z —
#17

This isn't even the dumbest cop show created by a guy named Steve in the 90s; that would be Cop Rock.

unclemike
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2014-06-25T03:11:33Z —
#18

You stole my comment, Halloween Jack.

Pretend I sang that.

daneel
—
2014-06-25T03:13:01Z —
#19

Now I want to watch Midnight Caller and Sledge Hammer!

pjcamp
—
2014-06-25T03:51:21Z —
#20

Can we get a shout out for Supertrain!

But to be fare, sometimes you can get idiots to green light Fernwood 2Night.